Philippines to Require License to Post Content

I’m attending a hearing tomorrow on a proposal by the Philippines’ National Telecommunications Commission that will require licenses for online content developers.

Yes, you read that right. The Philippine government wants to require licenses for people to create and post content online. Under the proposal’s extremely broad definition of a content developer, you would need a license just to comment on this post.

This is the most unenforceable proposal I have ever seen. What are they going to do, require five million Filipino Friendster users to get a license before posting pictures? This proposal clearly comes from the outdated mindset that only corporations can develop content.

It’s a public hearing, so feel free to join me. If nothing else, it’ll be good for a laugh.

Update: It seems a flood of interest in this proposal has brought down the NTC site. For your information, the public hearing’s set for 2pm Thursay GMT+8 at the NTC Executive Conference Room, 3rd Floor, NTC Building, BIR Road, East Triangle, Diliman, Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines.

Is this a way to control the web content posting, or just another way to earn money (taxation)?

…If so, will students who will be reviewing/ posting critic on certain materials on the web will be required for this license for their scholarly work? How about common household people who would just be posting comments on Friendster or Multiply, will they be covered? How about those people posting their homemade videos on YouTube?

…Sad to say, this will kill most of our web and Intellectual sharing, for those people who can’t afford to buy their license certificate. And much worse, we cannot use our Copyright privileges, because this memorandum, if approved, will also kill all our Copyright’s Fair Use. Same with some provisions in the Bill of Rights such as Freedom of Speech and Journalism.

…All I can say is, this is another first for Filipinos. Baka gusto lang ng Pilipinas na maging kakaiba. To NTC: If you want us to be different, make it reasonable and worthwhile… Wag puro negosyo. Maging makatao kayo!

MY STAND ON THIS…

…Yes folks, I find this silly. How could the Government control and regulate blogs and content postings on the Internet? Ang laking pera ang mage-generate nito at siguradong yayaman ang gobyerno. Almost a million Filipinos were posting contents on the web daily.

…How about those previous accounts and blogs posted on the web? Ibig sabihin pag hindi nakapag-apply ng license, pwedeng ipa-delete na lang ang Friendster, Multiply, Facebook, or YouTube content? At pumayag naman kaya ang mga web hosting sites na ito na i-delete na lang basta ang mga accounts natin ng walang valid reason? Just remember, most of these web hosting such as YouTube and Multiply are run by International entities. Magiging kahiya-hiya lang tayo kung halimbawa ire-request ng NTC sa YouTube, Friendster, or Multiply ang pag-delete ng accounts dahil walang content license. To them (International website creators), that would simply mean that our Government are just making money out of their sites or out of anybody, Nakakahiya! And besides, most of us are using the web voluntarily, and it’s our own discretion if we disclose our personal and/ or private matters on the web (Let the existing Privacy Law and the Copyright Law take care of those matters if problems would occur).

…There’s no need to apply for any content licenses blah blah blah, gastos lang ‘yan at pagpapahirap sa mga mamamayan. Just enforce a stricter measure or Cyber Law to those who would be committing Electronic/ Cyber crimes, that’s all we ever need.